Nashville This Week

Home , Becky Hobbs, Eddie London, Red Sovine, Verlon Thompson

520R &R July 12,1991 NASHVILLE THIS WEEK

Artists Capture Overseas Crowds

For the first time in more than 13 years, country acts Arista /Nashville artist participated in the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Michelle Wright will be featured in which kicked off July 2. Brenda Lee, Kevin Welch, Joe an upcoming one -hour Canadian Ely, the Texas Tornados, Broadcasting Corporation special. Butch Hancock, Jim Lauder- The show will highlight Wright's dale, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore performed in the festival's life and her music, using footage "American Evening Fourth of July Tribute to Roots Rock shot in and around her hometown 'N' Roll and Country Music," a special salute to American of Merlin, Ontario. Taping will be- roots music. gin in September, with a scheduled late-fall air date. American country artists have Holland, Switzerland, Ireland, Several artists have inked in- THE THUNDER OF SUCCESS ASCAP recently not participated in the jazz fest England, Norway, Sweden, and ternational concert dates for Sep- - held a No. 1 party for "The Thunder Rolls," written since the late '70s. This year's Spain. Member Flaco Jimenez has tember. Emmylou Harris, Hoyt by Garth Brooks and Pat Alger. Basking in the glow of success are (front, l -r) ASCAP's Merlin Littlefield and Capitol/ event originally had only two coun- a solo tour of Japan planned during Axton, Exile, and Holly Dunn are Nashville President Jimmy Bowen; (rear, l-r) Brooks's co- manager Bob try acts scheduled - the Texas the Tornados' in downtime August. set to perform at the third annual, Doyle, co- manager Pam Lewis, Alger's Tornados and Carl Perkins. When son Ryan, Brooks, Alger, CMA's Jo The Bellamy Brothers, Mark Gstaad Festival in Switzerland on Walker -Meador, producer Allen Reynolds, and Forerunner Music's Terrell Perkins became ill and cancelled, Collie, Stella Parton, Barry & September 21. Country acts who Tye. Montreux organizer Claude Nobs was persuaded to invite the country artists participating in the begin an extensive USO tour of Wright Park in Goodlettsville, TN Singer/Songwriter Festival in Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and on August 24. No admission will be neighboring Frutigen, Switzerland. Gúam on September 8. charged, but donations will go to This year marks the 25th anni- Paul Overstreet returns this the Keith Whitley Memorial Fund versary of the prestigious jazz fes- week from a brief tour in Germany of the Vanderbilt Institute for the tival, which is being produced by (July 3-6), where he played four Treatment of Addictions. Quincy Jones and will include per- dates at Frankfurt, Bremerhaven, Robin Lee recently signed an formances by Miles Davis, Sting, and several other military bases. endorsement agreement with La- the Moody Blues, Toto, James Warner Bros. /Nashville is redo Boots. Lee has been touring Brown, Elvis Costello, Bonnie planning a special Dwight Yoakam this summer in support of her new Raitt, B.B. King, George Benson, European LP, slated for January Atlantic /Nashville LP, "Heart On and many others. A full- length mo- release. WB /London is helping A Chain." The current single from tion picture of the festival is plan- choose material for the album, that album, "Nothin' But You," ned for future release. which will include songs with a was written by Steve Earle. Following the Montreux Festi- slight rock edge. Dean Dillon has had some un- val, Warner Bros. /Nashville artist THE DEVIL MADE US DO IT - Sony Tree recently threw a party cele- expected guests show up at recent Bits & Pieces Kevin Welch moves on to Rio De brating Joe Diffie's No. 1 single, "If The Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)." concerts. His latest video, "Holed Janeiro on July 24-28 to appear at About to take a spin are co- writer Kim Williams, Diffie, and co- writer Ken Lorrie Morgan, her crew, Up In Some Honky Tonk," features the first annual Country In Rio Spooner, who owns the pictured car. band members, and WSIX /Nash- a dancing armadillo, so people Festival held at the Riocentre. ville are holding the second annual have been bringing live armadillos Other slated performers include Benefit Softball Game at Moss- to his shows. Holly Tashian, and surprise guest have previously played Gstaad in- Ricky Skaggs, Suzy Bogguss, and Verlon Thompson appeared re- clude the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Stella Parton. Welch recently cently at the seventh annual Swiss Conway Twitty, Buck Owens, the made his European debut at the NEW ARTIST FACT FILE Alps Country Music Festival in Forester Sisters, and Highway 101. Frutigen Festival. A second Bra- Grindelwald, Switzerland. It was And speaking of Harris, she zilian concert, the Skol Country Collie's European debut. will embark upon a major Euro- Festival, is scheduled for late Thompson had been in Torino, pean solo tour in September, play- Eddie London August in Sao Paulo. The Palladi- Italy headlining the Pickin' '91 ing 11 dates in Holland, Belgium, um concert will feature Don Wil- , Festival with Guy Clark when he Switzerland, England, and France. Born: July 31 1956 in Dreux, France liams, Lee Roy Parnell, Asleep At stopped by and played a few num- She will also headline the third an- Present Home: Nashville The Wheel, Wild Rose, and Doug bers for the Grindelwald crowd. He nual Country Gold concert in Kum- Current Single: "If We Can't Do It Right" Kershaw. even wrote a song for the occasion, amoto, Japan in October. By the Current Album: "Do It Right" The Texas Tornados are also in "Grindelwald Again," which way, Harris was named he is Country Producers: Ronnie Rogers, Warren Peterson the midst of a whirlwind European recording this week. The tune is Music People magazine's Interna- Label: RCA junket. The group will spend over now the festival's official theme tional Female Vocalist of 1991. two weeks touring eight cities in song. Management: Dale Morris & Associates Ed Bruce and Becky Hobbs are scheduled guests at the eighth an- Musical Influences: Merle Haggard, George Jones nual Wohlen Festival in Wohlen, Background: The son of an Air NASHVILLE IN MOTION Switzerland on September 7; Jen- Force man, Eddie London began nifer McCarter & The McCarters singing with his father and older brother at age eight. He performed on the Los Angles club circuit fol- Dycus, Fischer Promoted lowing graduation from the New Mexico Military Institute. After a few years of playing Vegas casinos, he- Tabitha Dycus, RCA /Nashville Man - FLASHBACK* went to Nashville, eventually joining ager A &R, has been promoted to Di- Red Sovine's band as rector of the department. Dycus has bassist (1978 -80). been with the label for six years, and 1 YEAR AGO previously co -owned and managed Years on the road with the Ken - No. 1: Pannin' Gold Music Company in Music "He Walked On dalls, Kitty Wells, Leona Williams, City. Water" - Randy Travis and Tommy Cash eventually left Pete Fisher has been upped to Pub- him weary of watching everyone lishing Director of WEA. Fisher intern- 5 YEARS AGO else live his dream. "So I finally sold ed at WEA in 1987. He later worked as my bass and amp because I knew No.1: In Creative Services Coordinator and "Nobody His Right that would keep me off the road. I then Publishing Mind" - George Strait wasn't going to go out again until it Manager of the corn - Eddie London pany. was for me." Pete Fisher Tabitha Dycus Laura Staggs has been named At- to YEARS AGO Signing: He worked odd jobs Songs: London's debut album and sang demos. A lantic /Nashville's Coordinator /Product 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN 37203; (615) cut he did for is due August 27. The first single, No. 1: "Feels So Right" Development. Staggs previously 329 -9074. - Maypop Music's Cliff Williamson "If We Can't Do It Right," is current- Alabama (2nd week) caught the attention Maypop's ly wrote, hosted, and produced radio and Signings: Patty Loveless to Fitz- of 39 on the R &R Country Airplay TV in Ronnie Rogers and Warren Peter- chart. "The songs on the album are commercials Los Angeles. gerald Hartley for management . . .

son, who were looking for an act I R.C. Bradley has opened Bradley Janie Fricke to Intersound Entertain- 15 YEARS AGO to a reflection of the way am. Coun- produce. Their interest resulted in a try music Artists in Nashville. Previously based in ment ... Cleve Francis to Creative is about songs that have No.1: "Teddy Bear" production deal and contract with been in Los Angeles, Bradley currently repre- Media Services for publicity ... Jenni- - lived and felt. And those are

Red Sovine RCA /Nashville. the kinds I sents Juice Newton and Jim Lauder- fer McCarter & The McCarters to of songs sing." dale. He's located at 1922 Broadway, World Class Talent for booking.